


Imaginary Friend

by Wordsdear



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2018-12-31 18:13:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12138246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wordsdear/pseuds/Wordsdear
Summary: When Ace meets the crew he seems to find Usopp's name awfully familiar. And Luffy gets a little jealous when he should really just be embarrassed. Set during Alabasta but a bit of vague spoilers for some of the post Marineford flashback. Now with a second chapter and some dressrosa spoilers





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [applepals](https://archiveofourown.org/users/applepals/gifts).



The Alabasta sun beat down on them as Luffy smiled through the sweat, showing off his crew to his so called big brother that no one had heard of. Usopp wasn’t sure if he trusted the guy, he smirked a little too much. Luffy finished listing off his crew mates by pointing enthusiastically at Usopp, who had tried his best to hide behind Zoro.

“And this is Usopp!”

Ace’s eyes widened and he leaned closer 

"Wait Usopp? THE Usopp? Son of Yasopp?”

“You’ve heard of me? I mean, of course you’ve heard of me! The great capttaaaaainn Usopp!!”

‘Captain? Sure. You're not really Usopp are you?” Ace was a little too close for comfort and Zoro was no help, he wouldn’t meet Usopp’s eyes having suddenly found his sword hilts super interesting.

Luckily Sanji came to his rescue 

“Usually he is a liar, but his name really is Usopp”

 

“Prove it.”

Usopp couldn’t tell if this was just really weird teasing or if all big time pirates just went around asking for proof of identity all the time.

“How?”

“What is your mother’s name?”

“Banchina”

 

What is your favourite colour?

“Yellow.”

Ace let out a deep breath and shrugged 

“Okay those were all easy ones, time for a hard one. What were your first words?”

Too confused to lie, Usopp spluttered out at the same time as Ace and for some reason Luffy

“Nice shot”

“And the first time you hit a bulls eye?”

“Age 4”

“So you really are him huh? Luffy finally found you?”

Finally managing to interject, Chopper called out 

“Is Usopp famous?”

Trying to keep his head straight, Usopp held up his hands for silence

“Let me guess, you heard about me from Yasopp as well?”

Ace smiled his arms folded, “Nope, never met the guy. Growing up this little twerp here wouldn’t shut up about you. Since Luffy had heard you were apparently around his age, he decided you were his friend. I kind of thought you were his imaginary friend to be honest. He would go on forever about how his friend could beat up my friend and stuff like that. “

Ace stopped and tilted his head to the side

“Now wait a second, if I remember correctly didn’t we agree to fight over who got to have him on our crew?”

Luffy put up his fists and shouted “I’m ready!”

Then he pouted and cried out “No fair Ace, I thought the deal was who ever found him first got to ask”

Ace squinted and tilted his head back trying to think

“Did we settle on that? Wait, I think we all did end up fighting over it back then? Mostly just to get you to shut up about him, Usopp this, Usopp that. He won the deciding match though”

Luffy frowned and nodded “Yeah he did”

“So we are at a stalemate, cause he can’t really lay his claim now can he? He would owe me 1000 berries for Usopp being real anyways. So let’s ask Mr Usopp for himself. Do you want to join the Whitebeard pirates, follow one of the four Emperors and make him pirate king?”

and then he winked.

Before Usopp could open his mouth to answer, he felt a thud on his back and long rubbery limbs wrapped around his arms to grip at his wrists and the legs wound around his waist tightened. Luffy felt warm against his back. It was a little hard to breath.

Usopp managed to squeak out “Sorry, I’m already-“

“Taken” Luffy interjected

Usopp continued “on the crew of the man who will become the king of the pirates. Best wishes to your captain” 

and then as an after thought 

“pleasedon’tkillmeforsayingnoandsendwhitebeardaftermeIamsosorry”

Ace just laughed “So there you have it Luffy, you win”

Ace stepped away and Usopp felt a little of the tension leave the air. There was a beat of silence as Usopp continued to stand there swaddled in Luffy.

“Luffy, can you get off now?”

He couldn’t even see him on his back, but Usopp could practically hear the head tilt of confusion “Why?”

“Because it is really hot and I am not carrying you across this whole desert”

“But Zoro carries Chopper around”

“Only cause Chopper’s fur suit can’t take the heat”

Chopper who had reclaimed his rightful throne on Zoro let out a screech “IT IS NOT A FUR SUIT!” 

“And he can turn small, you are too big and too sweaty”

“Fine”

and with a huff Luffy detangled himself from Usopp and landed softly beside him. Or at least mostly detangled himself. One of his hands had moved from Usopp’s wrist to his hand, the grip was tight.

‘Luffy, I need my hand”

“For what?”

“What if I need to take a piss?”

“I can help.”

Ace let out a low whistle and Sanji spun on the spot and called out “Namiiii-swan hollddd my hand” which earned him a certified Nami slap.

“You better not of picked your nose recently”

“Don’t worry, all clean. I ate all the boogers already”

Screaming, Usopp tried desperately to free his hand from this evil booger man that called himself his captain, but Luffy’s grip was firm

“Shishishishi. That was a joke Usopp, I promise” 

Luffy grinned at him and ran his thumb over Usopp’s fingers. Which would be calming, except for the fact that Usopp was pretty sure Luffy was just trying to better spread the booger and spit germs on him. That smile though. Even in this heat it outshine the sun. Which was silly but made him wish he had packed some sunscreen, 'cause getting a Luffy burn was just embarrassing.

Maybe sweaty hand holding wasn’t all that bad. But that might just be the heat stoke talking.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers for Dressrosa. A certain other brother appears and finds the name God Usopp awfully familiar

“I’ll take a piece of that” and Sabo ripped of a piece of the vivre card, ignoring Zoro’s question of how he made it in the first place. Placing his hat on his head, he turned for the door, only to stop and turn back toward the bed. His piercing gaze was no longer on his sleeping brother, but the bed’s other occupant.

“One last thing before I go, I have to ask. Doflamingo gave the man he called ‘God Usopp' a five star bounty” he pointed at Usopp’s sleeping figure, half hanging out of the bed. “Is he really God Usopp?”

Franky answered “Bro’s no god but-”

Only to be cut off by Zoro who let out an loud laugh, and almost dropped his nearly empty bottle of sake in the process

“He is Usopp all right. Yasopp and Banchina’s son”  


Sabo bent down to stare at Usopp’s smooshed face, that was well aquanted with the ground, and gave his nose a poke.

“So that thing is real? The revolutionaries had a bet going that Sogeking had the nose as part of the disguise. Shooting down the World Government’s flag like that, we were tempted to try to track him down and ask him to join. So Luffy really ended up finding him after all huh? And he is both Sogeking and God Usopp? “

Sabo let out a low whistle

“Speaking of wanting him to join the revolutionaries, I am pretty sure I have the rights to him. Luffy never shut up about his amazing sniper friend who was ‘totally real and not imaginary at all'. We fought over it back when we were kids, for the privilege of him joining. I won the final match against Ace, by a hair mind you but still. I guess it is time to collect.”

No one moved for a second, a silence hanging in the air only to be broken by Luffy's grumbled “Mine” and his hand gripping Usopp’s ankle. Usopp kicked out a little at the grasp and planted his foot in Luffy’s face. Who started to drool, his mouth slowly opening. Without turning, tears still pouring out of his sparking cyborg eye, Franky pulled Usopp’s foot out of Luffy’s mouth, saving the sniper from a potentially peg footed future.

Sabo let out a sigh,

“But I don’t have a crew, and besides, Luffy got to him first. So you can let go of your swords now, Roroanoa. Luffy would never let me take him anyways I know, he is stubborn like that. Luffy might be a bit much for you to handle, but take good care of him.”

Franky let out a tearful “Yeah! You can count on us!” Robin just smiled.

Zoro snorted to himself “He said the same thing Ace said”

As the door shut behind him only Zoro heard Sabo laugh again 

“I need to go back and leave 1000 berries for Ace now, don’t I. Still can’t believe he actually found him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May or may not have a third chapter in mind. Maybe when Luffy realizes Usopp is the Usopp he heard about growing up. But we will see

**Author's Note:**

> I always found the idea that Luffy knew about Usopp before he met any of the crew or even Ace super intersting. I have an idea for a second chapter and I might do a flashback as well but we will see.


End file.
